Looking for Methanol?

[houdel]

Still looking for a source of methanol? Try Torco Racing Fuels, they distribute methanol along with high octane gasoline. Don't know how regional they are but I found three dealers within about a one hour drive of my LZ who carry methanol, two by the gallon, one by 55 gal drums. Price ranged from $2.10/gal to $2.65/gal, of course the closest place was the most expensive! Also try any marinas in your area, apparently a lot of high performance race boats run on methanol.

http://www.torcoracefuels.com/index.php

 

[67Beast]

Lee, we sell methanol here at my race shop. We go through about 2000 gallons a month in the summer so you know it is always fresh. We sell by the gallon or the drum. We're about an hour southwest of you at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Mears. Shop # is 231-873-4047, David Allen Racing.

 

[houdel]

Duneland, of course. I'll drive the Deuce over when I'm ready to purchase some. Still have to do the 1 liter & HEET experiment, it was scheduled for this weekend, cancelled due to lack of a Dr. Pepper bottle!

 

[67Beast]

Let me know when you are coming, and I'll make sure that I'm here that day. I'll also drive something green to work that day also.

 

[mangus580]

Lee.... you can use a different brand 2 liter bottle you know

 

[houdel]

Odd as it may seem, even with six, eight, and ten year old sons living in the house, I couldn't find a single, empty 2L pop bottle around the house! The last one I had was made into a rain cap for my Deuce, after I finished repairing the rusted-out bottom of my J-pipe (recieved from DRMO in that condition).

 

[mangus580]

Oh wait... isnt it Michigan that has like a 10 cent deposit on bottles?? That would explain why you dont have any

 

[houdel]

HAH! Ten cents wouldn't buy enough diesel to get the Deuce up my driveway! That's why I'm trying to make Biodiesel. I'll probably still spend as much money making the Bio as I do buying diesel, but I'll get to drive the Deuce 5 times as much!

Interesting concept though. At nearly $3.00/gal for diesel, I'd need a 30 pack to buy a gallon of fuel. That would make my mileage 3 cans/mile!

I'll have to get the kids to drink more Faygo Ohana Punch. Its considered a fruit drink and not subject to the bottle deposit. Then I'd have plenty of containers for processing and wash tanks!

 

[CCATLETT1984]

I'll be getting some meth. soon as well, I am looking for a water heater for my processor. Maybe we could go in on a drum of it.

 

[houdel]

CCATLETT1984 - It's probably not practical for us to try and share a drum of methanol, SCS is a 230 mile, 4 hour trip each way for me. If all your retailer has is drums, try finding another source. I located three sources within about an hour's drive from me, one only sold by the drum but the other two sell by the gallon, I just need to bring a red gas can. One of the retailers is a steel soldiers member!

BTW, you did mean "methanol" when you wrote "meth", didn't you?

 

[cranetruck]

When you start getting into biodiesel, a 55 gallon drum won't last that long. The supply of oil, assuming you find one, of course, will not end. 20, 30 or more gallons a week will soon pile up and you will need about 20% methanol to prepare the bio.
Robert Miller was gracious enough to supply me with a 55 gallon drum back in March and it's just about empty now.
So a 55 gallon drum of methanol should get you 250 gallons or so of biodiesel, equal to 10-12 weeks of production.

Go for a drum and get the discount!

 

[houdel]

Bjorn, I agree with you comments on methanol consumption. From what I've read, 25 gallons of WVO will require about 5 gallons of mentanol to process, and should yield a little less than 25 gallons of Biodiesel, which is a little more than one weeks consumption for me. Using those figures, a drum of methanol would make 11 batches of Bio and last me 3-4 months. It doesn't make very much sense to drive 2-1/2 to 3 hours once a week to pick up 5 gallons of menthanol for that weeks production of Bio! As it turns out though, the "pump" price of methanol from one retailer is about $0.28/gal cheaper than the drum price.

But I still have to find that D*** Dr Pepper bottle and get started though!